Abstract
Hypopigmentation disorders were reported in several bat species roosting in dark and sheltered roosts, but comparable records from open foliage roosts are rare. Here, we present three observations of non-albinistic hypopigmentation in two neotropical bat species. One extensively hypopigmented individual of Urodermabilobatum was observed roosting among regular pigmented conspecifics in an open foliage roost in Panamá. Two individuals of Glossophaga soricina with a patchy hypopigmentation were incidentally mistnetted during studies in Panamá and Costa Rica. Considering the species-specific roosting habits, we briefly discuss potential implications of pigmentation disorders and aberrant visual appearance for the affected individuals.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to the Panamanian and Costa Rican authorities for allocating research permits (ANAM SE/A-75-13; ACG-PI-059-2015). The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and the Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) provided sophisticated infrastructure for field work. We further thank Stéphane Aulagnier, associate editor of Mammalia, and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on the manuscript. Funding for this work was provided to AR by grants from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (RLS).
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